1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates: generally to containerized liquid coatings such as paints, primers, stains, et cetera; more particularly to a business method encompassing the entire process by which such product may be selected, ordered, and obtained by a customer and how orders so placed may be fulfilled; most particularly to such a business method wherein electronic information transfer is facilitated by internet utilization and electronic information is processed in the receipt of an order.
2. General Background
Liquid coatings such as paints, primers, stains, varnishes, et cetera, are considered to be characterized by a diverse constituency including a combination of liquid colorant in addition to a base of appreciable viscosity typically greater than the viscosity of the colorant. It is further considered that for this reason such liquid coatings are ubiquitously contained in rigid cylindrical metal containers, hereinafter referred to as paint cans, possessing large metal lids which require prying off and allow resealing so that colorant may be added by a local retailer and the paint can then be shaken on a machine to attain thorough mixing and fulfillment of the order placed by a customer who typically waits while the addition of colorant and/or mixing of the product is effected. It is important that the colorant be thoroughly mixed with the base and this requires a specialized machine which is specific to mixing the contents of paint cans and which the customer generally lacks.
The cans in which liquid coatings of this type are available are standardized. Generally only gallons, quarts, and less commonly, pints, are utilized for paint cans in the United States. Five gallon plastic pails are also known for use in containerizing liquid coatings such as paint, primer, stains and varnish as well as more viscous materials such as mastic and other adhesive compounds. These five gallon plastic pails are rigid and generally cylindrical, with a slight sidewall draft angle to facilitate molding, and further possess a large top lid which is resealable.
The unit cost of the liquid coating product varies with respect to standard volume purchased. And it is also considered that as colorant is added to the base in the paint can by the retailer there is a considerable margin of error and, in the interest of having precisely the same color paint for a given room, for example, which may only require two quarts of paint, it is generally considered a good idea to buy a full gallon instead because it will all be the same color and there will be no chance that the two different cans will possess an appreciably different color, tone, or shade.
The difference in unit price between standard volumes further encourages purchase of a single can or pail of paint of greater volume than required. Three quarts often exceed the price of a gallon of the same paint and this observation is taken to indicate a certain set of circumstances relating to the manufacture, distribution, and sales of liquid coatings of this type. A certain fixed cost in containerizing and handling a single unit regardless of size is recognized which argues for the use of larger containers as being more economic. It is further recognized that manufacturer, distributor, and retailer all have an economic reason for using as few standard volume containers as possible which is compounded by the fact that a local retailer must mix the liquid coating for the customer.
It is also noted that the distribution system for liquid coating product which may have colorant added by a local retailer necessarily involves shipment of product in paint cans or five gallon plastic pails by the manufacturer to the local retailer. A distributor intermediary to the manufacturer and local retailers may additionally be involved in which case inventory is carried by three parties prior to purchase by a customer. Most importantly, however, the customer must visit a local retailer in order to purchase the can(s) of paint and typically must wait for the paint to be mixed after colorant is added as discussed above. If the customer is a contractor this generally entails a visit to the local retailer prior to driving over to the work site and the trip there and the wait while the paint is made up is time lost. The tendency to purchase more paint than necessary for a given job resulting from the use of standard volumes and the pricing for the same combined with the desire to ensure that all the paint will have the same color, tone, and shade is further encouraged by the desire to avoid a second trip back to get more paint if an insufficient amount was picked up the first time.